The Mirror
by CCangel
Summary: Tumblr prompt: Regina is getting married and Daniel wishes her luck through the mirror. One shot.


The Mirror

It is night before Regina's wedding to Robin and Regina can't sleep. She wants to believe her lack of sleep is due to overwhelming excitement but she knows better. She can't sleep because she is thinking about him again.

Her Daniel.

He has occupied her mind for the past few weeks. The sound of his laugh, the smoothness and gentleness of his touch, the mesmerized look he gave her when he saw her coming, and the way he held her…it all came back a hundred fold.

She slowly got out of bed and walked over to the window. She observed that the stars were particularly bright and she thinks perhaps one of them is Daniel looking down on her. Guiding her through this life as best as he knows how.

Regina braced her back against the window readjusting her eyes to the darkness of the room. She closed her eyes briefly.

"Regina," she hears. The sound is faint so she dismissed it.

The call grows louder and her eyes pop open. She quickly scans the room thinking someone is in there with her. She sees no one.

"Go back to bed," she tells herself. "You need sleep."

She walks halfway to her bed when she hears it again. "Regina, my love."

Her heart beats wildly. She knows that voice like the back of her hand but it is quite impossible. She must be hallucinating.

"I'm here Regina," the voice says. Out of her peripheral vision, her mirror starts to emit white light. She turns and is completely captivated by the shape that is morphing before her stunned and bewildered eyes.

She blinks several times as her body moves on instinct. She slowly holds her hand out toward the mirror.

"Daniel," she breathes. Her hand glides over the mirror and she gasps. She can feel his skin below her fingertips.

"What is happening?" she wonders aloud. Her eyes roam between her hand and his face smiling at her with amusement.

"It's okay. There's no need to be frightened," he tells her.

She backs up shaking her head in utter confusion. There's one explanation for this: she has officially cracked. All the years of stress and heartache have finally taken its toll.

"Look at me. You're not going crazy," Daniel said.

"Says the dead fiancé in the mirror," she shot back.

A smirk graces his features at her sarcasm. His eyes softened. "Come closer."

She did because he asked and she would never turn down an opportunity to speak with him. "I really don't understand," she started to say.

"Does it really matter?" he asked gently.

She found herself letting out a chuckle. "No, I guess it doesn't. But Daniel, why now?"

"You needed me," he said. "I came to tell you that it is going to be alright. You found love and I know that Robin loves you just as much as I do."

She smiled as tears started to prick her eyes. "How do you know?"

"I watch. And the look on your face says it all," he answered. "You don't need to be afraid of the future. You just have to trust your heart."

"What if my heart is wrong and I'm just fooling myself?" she asked. "I mean, look where me loving you did to you. I got you killed."

Regina saw his eyes darkened. "I don't believe that."

"It's true," she resigned. "You would have been better off if you never met me. You would have had a life."

"Perhaps but I wouldn't trade our time with you for anything," he said. "Now you're living life for the both of us."

"But-

"No," he interrupted. "No buts."

"It's not fair to you," Regina argued.

"And I'm okay with that. I always wanted to show you what love really looked like and you have it. You're getting married. I couldn't be happier for you."

Regina sat on the edge of her bed. "I've been thinking about you a lot. I don't know why. Maybe because deep down I'm still that girl and I don't know how to let you go completely," she said softly.

"You have to try. You have to try for you and for Robin. I know your heart is big and you love deeply. It's alright to give your heart to him."

She chuckled because she literally entrusted her heart to the man.

Regina sobered as she looked at the engagement ring. It was so different from the one Daniel had given her. "I'm afraid of it all. I'm afraid of something coming in and destroying what is good in my life. I've lost and I don't want to go through it again."

"Yet you've gained so much more," Daniel refuted. "Regina, I don't have much time left."

Regina sprang up and hurried to the mirror. "No, wait. You can't leave. We're not done yet."

"Stay strong," he said. "Remember to stay strong and keep love in your heart."

"Daniel," she said with a crack in her voice as she saw his image start to float away.

"You're going to make a beautiful bride tomorrow. Robin is a lucky man. Remember, I'll be watching from the stars."

The room was once again shrouded in darkness. Regina stared at the mirror while running her hands over it. "Goodbye Daniel."

The sun seeping through the windows woke her up along with the banging on her front door. She turned over and put the other pillow over her head.

"Regina, wake up!" she heard. Snow.

She groaned. "How did you get in here?"

"Henry gave me the key," she answered. "Are you ready for the big day?"

Thoughts of the previous night invaded her mind and she couldn't help but remember Daniel's words about her being a beautiful bride. Robin was her future and in a few hours she was about to embrace it.

"I'm ready."


End file.
